Aetiology and outcome of acute hepatic failure in Greece: experience of two academic hospital centres.

Introduction: In Western countries, the most frequent aetiology of acute liver failure (ALF) is acetaminophen overdose, while in developing countries viral infections [hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus (HBV)] predominate. Aim: To evaluate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, outcome and prognostic factors of survival of patients with ALF in Greece during the last 6 years. Results: A total of 40 patients, 28 females (70%), with a median age of 37.

Heat stroke and multi-organ failure with liver involvement in an asylum-seeking refugee.

Heat stroke is the result of exposure to high environmental temperature and strenuous exercise representing a medical emergency characterized by an elevated core body temperature and central nervous system disorders. Slightly elevated liver enzymes, lacking clinical significance, seem to be frequent in heat stroke, whereas severe, clinically relevant, hepatocellular injury has been observed in only a minority of cases. In the present report we describe the case of an otherwise healthy young asylum-seeking refugee from East Timor, who developed severe heat stroke during his transportation to Greece in a closed container on a ship under unusually high temperatures.

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenic purpura associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in an immunocompetent patient.

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in immunocompetent adults is usually asymptomatic and needs no specific therapy. We report the case of a 16-year-old previous healthy adolescent who presented with bleeding due to immune-mediated thrombocytopenic purpura during an acute acquired T.